![]() According to our knowledge, this research work is the first of its kind in the humid and semi-arid regions of the Danakil Basin in Ethiopia. The novelty of this research then, is the use of open sources remotely sensed data and the application of the recent SWAT+ to generate data/information on the hydrology of the ungauged Kobo-Golina catchment. A prior study has not been performed to assess the hydrology of this watershed using SWAT+ and open-source remote sensing data. At this time, open-source remote sensing technologies are offering alternative input data and simplifying the application of the SWAT model. However, the availability of input and calibration data is still a constraint. SWAT+ will be applied for the hydrological simulation of the Kobo-Golina catchment as the majority of the area is humid. For this, SWAT+ was recently developed to separate upland and floodplain regions to better simulate lowland hydrology-saturation excess runoff. Recent studies indicated that the humid and semi-humid tropical highlands of Ethiopia showed a saturation excess runoff process. ![]() The SWAT model has never been applied before in the Kobo-Golina River to simulate the hydrological characteristics of the watershed. There is not a significant number of studies that focused particularly on data-scarce humid and semi-arid regions including the current study area. Hydrological modeling through SWAT is rare in ungauged basins due to a lack of data. The SWAT model application in Ethiopia is also progressive but limited to a few major river basins which have ground-measured data. The application of the SWAT model for the study of water resources and environmental assessments has shown significant progress in Africa. Due to its improved features, multiple internal processes, and versatility, the SWAT model is widely applicable globally. Hydrological models are among the various tools used to quantify and predict changes in the spatial and temporal availability as well as the quality of water resources. This will help to properly understand the potential and mitigate the problems in utilizing the resources. Hydrological quantification of water resources, simulation, and monitoring of the water balance components are critical for the area. So, scientific intervention is required to understand hydrology and assess the potential to properly manage the water resource of the area. Random utilization of resources without understanding the hydrology of the area is still a challenge. Water balance components are not properly defined. Though irrigation is under development, the area is facing some problems like poor water management and a lack of sufficient hydrological information. The findings of the study suggested that both surface water harvesting and groundwater exploitation can be sought in floodplain areas while conserving the uplands. The maximum monthly recharge occurs in September with a recharge value of 78.2 mm. The spatial distribution of simulated runoff was depicted as being higher in the floodplains and along the riparian/drainage lines, whereas upland areas showed lower runoff. High flows occur in August, with a median flow of 16.55 m 3/s and a coefficient of dispersion of 1.55. The monthly low flow occurs in June with a median flow of 1.43 m 3/s and a coefficient of dispersion of 0.67. ![]() The simulated mean annual streamflow at the Basin outlet is 10.6 m 3/s. The model simulation showed that evapotranspiration accounts for 47% of the input water while surface runoff, lateral flow, and groundwater recharge account for 30%, 1.53%, and 21.4%, respectively. It is found that the multi-variable calibration scenario reasonably attained the minimum satisfactory performance limit for both variables (NSE = 0.67, R 2 = 0.68, PBias = −9.68%, and RSR = 0.57 for calibration of GloFAS flow and NSE = 0.56, R 2 = 0.63, RSR = 0.66, PBias = 3.86 for calibration of MODIS AET). Validated reanalysis river flow from the Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) and actual evapotranspiration (AET) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were used for single and multi-variable calibration. The main objective of this research is to model the hydrology of the Kobo-Golina catchment using the completely restructured SWAT (SWAT+) model. The role of hydrological models is critically important in rarely studied ungauged catchments including of Kobo-Golina, in the Danakil basin of Ethiopia. A proper understanding of hydrological processes is vital for water resource assessment, management, and conservation at a local, national, and global scale. ![]()
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